On the first night of 2013 NFL Draft, social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and calls to sports talk radio shows in Detroit, suggested collective disappointment from Lions’ fans.
It was billed as a truly great draft for offensive tackles with Eric Fisher, from Central Michigan University and Rochester Stoney Creek High School, leading the pack.
Fisher was the first overall pick by Kansas City, Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel went second to Jacksonville and Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson fourth to Philadelphia.
The Lions, in need of replacements for both starting offensive tackles (Jeff Backus retired and Gosder Cherilus signed as a free agent with Indianapolis), “settled” for Brigham Young defensive end Ziggy Ansah with the fifth overall selection. At least, that was the perception from much of their fan base.
Ansah, who hails from Ghana, went to Brigham Young for schooling and religious reasons, but had never played football until college. Although he performed very well last year for BYU despite his inexperience, and dominated during Senior Bowl practices and the game, and stood out at the scouting combine as an extraordinarily gifted athlete, it was like he was going to be lost in the NFL.
It was almost as if people were expecting him to put on his helmet backward.
Oh, although the Lions had selected an offensive tackle in the first round in 2012, there didn’t seem to be much faith in that player, Reilly Reiff, even though he was the second offensive lineman picked that year.
The reasoning most often presented: If Reiff is that good, how come he couldn’t play ahead of Backus and Cherilus, two players Lions’ fans loved to hate, in 2012.
After three games and two victories this year, the Lions’ faith in Ansah and Reiff has been justified.
From the first preseason game, Ansah has played well. He has 2.5 sacks and is tied for second in the NFL in sack yardage for loss with 28. He has officially forced one fumble, but he has forced others negated by Lions’ penalties. He had seven tackles, including one for a loss on a running play, during the Lions’ 27-20 victory Sunday. Ansah and Ndamukong Suh appear to be an exceptionally formidable inside-outside combination along the Lions’ defensive line.
Reiff has more than held his own against elite pass rushers such as Minnesota’s Jared Allen and Washington’s Brian Orapko.
The Lions’ running attack has been much improved, often running behind Reiff. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been sacked just two times, one on which looked like a broken play running the read option in the season opener, another very early in the Washington game. It’s the fewest sacks allowed by any team in the NFL.
Ansah and Reiff have been major keys to the Lions’ 2-1 start entering Sunday’s hugely important, even considering its so early in season, game vs. Chicago at Ford Field.
The development of Reiff and Ansah only highlights the importance of the NFL Draft. Ultimately, if a team misses on its early-round draft choices, it has no chance of advancing (recall Charles Rogers. Joey Harrington, Ernie Sims, Mike Williams, Roy Williams, etc). There was a huge downside to last season. The Lions’ 4-12 performance couldn’t have been disappointing. The only upside was an early pick in the draft. They needed, more than anything else, a playmaker on defense. The Lions had a lot of weaknesses in ’12, but it was their biggest deficiency. It isn’t like the offensive line isn’t important, especially left tackle. But they drafted Reiff for the purpose of eventually replacing Backus. With a year under his belt and not forced into one of the NFL’s most difficult roles prematurely, Reiff has excelled upon presented opportunity.
Amazingly, it’s almost gone unnoticed. If Reiff had been burned by the likes of Allen and Orapko, it would be one of the biggest issues surrounding the Lions – if not the biggest. Such is the life of an offensive linemen, evidently.
Of course, the tests never end for Reiff. The Bears’ Julius Peppers is one of the best pass rushers of this generation, although he isn’t off to a rousing start this season.
The Lions are a long way from getting to where they and their fans want to go. They still make way too many mistakes for comfort. Injuries rapidly can become a problem. Ansah will be leaned even more heavily after fellow defensive end Jason Jones suffered a season-ending injury. You could almost hear this town roll its collective eyes and muttering under its breath, “Only the Lions,” upon hearing veteran wide receiver Nate Burleson, off to a blazing start, broke his arm in an automobile accident, reportedly while reaching for a piece of pizza.
But such drama is more feasibly overcome by a team that drafts the right players.
And it could be the Lions have hit the jackpot with Ansah and Reiff.